True Love

imageJerry and JoEllen had been childhood sweethearts.Β  He had Cystic Fibrosis butΒ did really well. He and JoEllen drifted apart while he was in college.Β JoElllenΒ hadΒ left an abusive husbandΒ and was struggling to raise twoΒ toddlers on her own by the time they reconnected.Β  Β He was well-established at his engineering firm and anxious to offer JoEllen and her boys a solid life.

Things were going well for them.Β  They wereΒ buying a house and planningΒ a wedding when JerryΒ became jaundiced.Β Β He was found to be inΒ acute liver failure as a result of his long and complicated medical history.Β Β Β I met them whenΒ it was myΒ privilege to beΒ  his nurse.Β  JoEllen never left his side if she didn’t have to.Β They were such aΒ loving couple.Β  It was heartbreaking toΒ know their future together couldn’t be too long.

When it was obvious Jerry was becoming rapidly worse, they made arrangements to get a marriage license so they could marry before his death.Β  They were married just a day or so before Jerry died, but not before he was able to make sure JoEllen and “his” boys would be well taken care of.